coprophagia – Green Acres Kennel Shop Blog

Shared Article – Why do dogs eat poop? New research suggests an ancient answer

This article from Karin Brulliard in The Washington Post discusses some new theories on why dogs eat feces.

This is a question we are asked several times a year. Highlights from the article are:

This new paper from UC-Davis indicates that “…16 percent of pups consume other canines’ feces “frequently,” having been spotted doing it more than six times by their owners. The vast majority prefer their poop to be fresh, or no more than one to two days since deposit.”

The paper does not indicate why dogs eat feces. In fact, no evidence was found that connects poop-eating with age, diet, or compulsive behaviors such as tail-chasing.

The researcher behind the paper has theorized that dogs eat fresh poop to destroy parasite eggs found in the poop. When they consume the poop the acid in their stomach destroys the eggs.

Ma recommendation if you have a poop-eater is to pick up the poop and dispose of it immediately. It works. Always.

FMI – https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2018/01/19/why-do-dogs-eat-poop-new-research-suggests-an-ancient-answer

Podcast – Listener Questions No. 23 with Dr. Dave Cloutier

<Click to listen to podcast>
Don, Kate and Dr. Dave Cloutier from the Veazie Veterinary Clinic answer listener questions submitted via The Woof Meow Show FaceBook page (https://www.facebook.com/WoofMeowShow/). Questions answered are: 1) Does allowing your dog to have 1 litter have any health benefits to the dog?, 2) Are there any health benefits to letting a cat have a litter?, 3) My Pittie has dermatitis on her earflaps can I supplement her diet with coconut oil to improve her skin?, 4) My 7 year old Yorkie has dry irritated skin. I’ve changed her food to lamb and rice, it is still not helping. Is there something safe to use that isn’t a bunch of chemicals?, 5) Are there metabolic diseases that affect the dogs ability to properly absorb fatty acids?, 6) I have a rescue dog that we got at 10 months he is now a little over a year. He pees all the time. We take him out he pees come back inside and he will pee in the house. I don’t know how to get him to stop. He was abandoned in a house for 3 weeks. 7) I have a 2 year old female unfixed cat who has continued to spray on our stuff. There is no infection of any kind and we have tried everything. We are exasperated and want some answers. Do you have any idea what could be wrong or what we are doing wrong?, and 8) I have a Dane, 2 Bassett hounds and a very old man cat. My younger Bassett 2yrs old, loves to clean up the yard after the cat especially. What can I do to stop this? I try to scoop but with 4 it gets ahead of me sometimes.

This is an abbreviated show due to the live broadcast of the Boston Red Sox game. Go Soxs!

You can hear The Woof Meow Show on The Pulse AM620, WZON, and WKIT HD3 at 12 Noon on Saturday. If you’re not near a radio, listen on your computer at http://www.wzonthepulse.com or your smartphone or tablet with the free WZON 620 AM app. A podcast of the show is typically posted immediately after the show, and can be downloaded at www.woofmeowshow.com and the Apple iTunes store.

PODCAST – Listener Questions #16 and #17

Don and Kate have recently completed two new Woof Meow Show episodes where we answer a variety of questions.

Listener Questions #17. This week’s questions include; What do I need to do before I get my new kitten?, My dog screams when I leave him alone and gets destructive chewing on things. What can I do to stop the chewing?, I’ve just adopted an 8 m/o old dog and my son is nervous around the dog and that seems to make the dog anxious. What should I be doing?, Our dog will grab things that he is not supposed to have (socks, paper towel with bacon grease, chicken bones, etc.). He then growls and snaps at us when we try to get it back. What should we do? and My dog eats her feces. What can I do to stop her? – You can listen to this episode of The Woof Meow Show at: http://traffic.libsyn.com/woofmeowshow/WoofMeowShow-2015-08-08-Listener_Questions_No17.mp3

Listener Questions #18. This week’s questions include; How old should a puppy be at its first grooming? Can a dog get too much exercise?, My boyfriend and I are going to move in together. I have two dogs and he has one but we’re worried about them getting along. What should we be doing ahead of time? How important is water for our pets? Do we need to be concerned about radon, arsenic, bacteria and other things in the water? We have an older cat and just adopted a kitten and they’re not getting along. What should we do? and Our neighbors think our dog is aggressive. Can you evaluate our dog and certify that he is not aggressive? – You can listen to this episode of The Woof Meow Show at: http://traffic.libsyn.com/woofmeowshow/WoofMeowShow-2015-08-15-Listener_Questions_No18.mp3

You can download these episodes of The Woof Meow Show at the Apple iTunes store, or you can download them at: http://woofmeowshow.libsyn.com/webpage

For more information on the Woof Meow Show go to: http://www.greenacreskennel.com/woof-meow-show/the-woof-meow-show